Métro Lausanne-Ouchy
Encyclopedia
The Métro Lausanne – Ouchy or Métro-Ouchy (LO) was a rack railway which linked the lakeside at Ouchy with the main railway station in Lausanne
and the core of the city at Flon. The system also included a parallel line between the railway station and Flon. After closure and modernisation, the line reopened in 2008 as rubber-tired metro, extended to Epalinges in the North.
in Switzerland. The line was known as La Ficelle (The String) and used water balance as the means of raising and lowering the cars. In 1958 the funicular was rebuilt into a rack and pinion railway using the Strub system and intermediate stations at Jordils and Montriond were opened. The line became known by the name métro, although to the natives and its many regular users it was always La Ficelle.
Until 1954 there was no direct connection between the freight station of Sébeillon and the Flon valley and this line was used by freight trains from the main station to the storage area of the harbour (in Flon).
The line was sold by the operating company to the town of Lausanne in 1984 and on 22 January 2006 it was closed to be rebuilt as part of the new Lausanne Metro
line 2 (M2). The rolling stock was sold to the French city of Villard-de-Lans
with the intention of it being used on their new rack railway, La Patache. The M2 line opened in October 2008.
railway station (Gare CFF) to Flon. This is known as “Metro – Ouchy”. A second line paralleled the Métro-Ouchy from Gare CFF to Flon stations, using its own separate to one side of a double-track tunnel. This service was known as “Metro – Gare”.
The line between Ouchy and Flon is 1482 m. in length, and rises 106 m. at a maximum gradient of 11.6% ( 1 in 8.66 ). This journey is completed in 8 minutes. The system is single track with a passing track at Montriond station to allow trains to meet (See photograph). The second line from the Gare CFF to Flon is just 318 m. in length, rises 37 m. at a maximum gradient of 12% (1 in 8.33 ). The trains were two 2-car units and offered a fast service, with trains every 6 to 10 minutes. The line is now referred to as Métro-Ouchy or M2.
Ouchy station was the southern terminal of the Ouchy line. It contained 3 tracks with one platform to the east side of the easternmost track. The 2 additional tracks were used as a stabling point for trains. A switchback allowed trains to enter the maintenance facility, located in a building to the north and sightly to the west of the station. The station itself was level, as it was just before the start of the stiff 11% grade that took the mainline into the city.
Jordils station was a relatively simple affair. It consisted of a single track and a single platform to the east of the mainline. Fare control was located inside a building to the east of the platform dating back to the days of the Ouchy funicular.
Montriond station was at the halfway point of the line and contained 2 tracks and 2 platforms. The platforms and tracks were positioned rather unconventionally. Northbound (uphill) trains stopped at a proper platform, but the northbound track at the station was built into the surface of the platform to the south of the northbound platform which southbound trains stopped at. The rolling stock only had doors on the east side side so this arrangement was necessary to accommodate both the passing track and the station. Such an arrangement also required the northbound train to arrive at the station before its southbound counterpart as it would block the southbound platform. On late evenings and weekends when only 1 train was service it used the northbound platform for both directions of travel. The line entered the tunnel under Lausanne just to the north of the station.
Gare CFF was the first underground station on the line. The station had 2 tracks and 2 platforms. The platform on the east side was for Lausanne-Ouchy trains and was located on the steep grade of that line. The platform on the west side of the station was used trains running the Métro-Gare service. The cars for this line only had doors on the west side and thus could not be used on the Lausanne-Ouchy. The Lausanne-Gare platform and track were not located on the steep grade of the Ouchy line, creating a level shelf next to the Ouchy track and what was essentially a 2-level station. Both tracks ascended the grade inside the 1877-built tunnel to Flon. The two lines were connected via a single crossover roughly at the halfway point of the tunnel.
Flon Station
Flon was the Northern terminal for both Métro Ouchy and Métro Gare trains. The underground station contained 2 tracks with 2 platforms to either side of the tracks. This station facilitated transfer to the Tramway Sud-Ouest de Lausanne (M1).
in push-pull configuration
. There were 3 rack locomotives numbered 121-123, were designated He 2/2, rated at 622 hp, 6.25 m in length and weighed 18.1 tons, with a top speed of 32 km/h. They were built by Swiss Lokomotivfabirk Winterthur using electrical components from Maschienefabrik Oerlikon in 1958.
There were 5 unpowered passenger cars numbered 1-5, model Bt. All cars had driving controls. 3 of the cars contained segregated operator's cabs used when the locomotives were in push mode, at the rear of the train. The passenger cars, like the locomotives, were built in 1958. None of the passenger cars were equipped with pinions.
The Lausanne-Gare line was always operated by a single electric railcar
built to the same specifications as the locomotives but with a length of 11.9 m and a weight of 18.5 tons. The two original cars were built in 1958 and numbered 101-102. In 1975 these cars were replaced by 2 newer cars built by SIG-Oerlikon numbered 111-112, built, again, to the same specifications as the locomotives. Both locomotives and railcars collected power from overhead wires with a scheren (rhombus-shaped) pantograph
Trains on the Ouchy line were made up of 2 passenger cars and a locomotive. The locomotives were on always the south (downhill) end of the train to prevent runaway trains. There were 2 trains on the line requiring 2 locomotives and 4 passenger cars, with 1 locomotive and passenger car held as spares. The Flon-Gare line was operated by one railcar with the other held at the yard as a spare.
In addition, there were 2 flat cars and a line car used to maintain the overhead wires. The locomotives were used to propel these cars.
removal. "La Patache" was ultimately cancelled, and a new use had to be found for the trains. An idea that the locomotives and passenger cars could be used as snack booths in downtown Lausanne surfaced but even this fell through. The Swiss Transport Museum
at Lucerne
refused to preserve the trains. A final preservation effort by a group called "Save La Ficelle!" attempted to raise 600,000 Swiss francs, the amount needed to purchase the trains from Villiard-de-Lans. They fell several thousand francs short of the required amount. The equipment was sold to a Swiss scrap dealer and was cut up in early 2010.
Lausanne
Lausanne is a city in Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland, and is the capital of the canton of Vaud. The seat of the district of Lausanne, the city is situated on the shores of Lake Geneva . It faces the French town of Évian-les-Bains, with the Jura mountains to its north-west...
and the core of the city at Flon. The system also included a parallel line between the railway station and Flon. After closure and modernisation, the line reopened in 2008 as rubber-tired metro, extended to Epalinges in the North.
History
The line was opened in 1877 as the first funicularFunicular
A funicular, also known as an inclined plane or cliff railway, is a cable railway in which a cable attached to a pair of tram-like vehicles on rails moves them up and down a steep slope; the ascending and descending vehicles counterbalance each other.-Operation:The basic principle of funicular...
in Switzerland. The line was known as La Ficelle (The String) and used water balance as the means of raising and lowering the cars. In 1958 the funicular was rebuilt into a rack and pinion railway using the Strub system and intermediate stations at Jordils and Montriond were opened. The line became known by the name métro, although to the natives and its many regular users it was always La Ficelle.
Until 1954 there was no direct connection between the freight station of Sébeillon and the Flon valley and this line was used by freight trains from the main station to the storage area of the harbour (in Flon).
The line was sold by the operating company to the town of Lausanne in 1984 and on 22 January 2006 it was closed to be rebuilt as part of the new Lausanne Metro
Lausanne Metro
The Lausanne Metro system includes two lines in Lausanne, Switzerland, owned by two distinct companies and operated by a third. The Line M1 is a light metro, while the Line M2 is a fully automated metro which opened on 27 October 2008. A third line M3 is in planning...
line 2 (M2). The rolling stock was sold to the French city of Villard-de-Lans
Villard-de-Lans
Villard-de-Lans is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France.The town is a centre for skiing in winter and hiking and hot air ballooning in other seasons.-1968 Winter Olympics:...
with the intention of it being used on their new rack railway, La Patache. The M2 line opened in October 2008.
Technical Details
The system consists of two lines, both single-track. The first line ran from Ouchy, through Jordils, Montriond and the SBB-CFF-FFSSBB-CFF-FFS
Swiss Federal Railways and SFR are not in official use) is the national railway company of Switzerland headquartered in Bern. Formerly a government institution, it is since 1999 a special stock corporation with all shares held by the Swiss Confederation or the Swiss cantons...
railway station (Gare CFF) to Flon. This is known as “Metro – Ouchy”. A second line paralleled the Métro-Ouchy from Gare CFF to Flon stations, using its own separate to one side of a double-track tunnel. This service was known as “Metro – Gare”.
The line between Ouchy and Flon is 1482 m. in length, and rises 106 m. at a maximum gradient of 11.6% ( 1 in 8.66 ). This journey is completed in 8 minutes. The system is single track with a passing track at Montriond station to allow trains to meet (See photograph). The second line from the Gare CFF to Flon is just 318 m. in length, rises 37 m. at a maximum gradient of 12% (1 in 8.33 ). The trains were two 2-car units and offered a fast service, with trains every 6 to 10 minutes. The line is now referred to as Métro-Ouchy or M2.
Ouchy station was the southern terminal of the Ouchy line. It contained 3 tracks with one platform to the east side of the easternmost track. The 2 additional tracks were used as a stabling point for trains. A switchback allowed trains to enter the maintenance facility, located in a building to the north and sightly to the west of the station. The station itself was level, as it was just before the start of the stiff 11% grade that took the mainline into the city.
Jordils station was a relatively simple affair. It consisted of a single track and a single platform to the east of the mainline. Fare control was located inside a building to the east of the platform dating back to the days of the Ouchy funicular.
Montriond station was at the halfway point of the line and contained 2 tracks and 2 platforms. The platforms and tracks were positioned rather unconventionally. Northbound (uphill) trains stopped at a proper platform, but the northbound track at the station was built into the surface of the platform to the south of the northbound platform which southbound trains stopped at. The rolling stock only had doors on the east side side so this arrangement was necessary to accommodate both the passing track and the station. Such an arrangement also required the northbound train to arrive at the station before its southbound counterpart as it would block the southbound platform. On late evenings and weekends when only 1 train was service it used the northbound platform for both directions of travel. The line entered the tunnel under Lausanne just to the north of the station.
Gare CFF was the first underground station on the line. The station had 2 tracks and 2 platforms. The platform on the east side was for Lausanne-Ouchy trains and was located on the steep grade of that line. The platform on the west side of the station was used trains running the Métro-Gare service. The cars for this line only had doors on the west side and thus could not be used on the Lausanne-Ouchy. The Lausanne-Gare platform and track were not located on the steep grade of the Ouchy line, creating a level shelf next to the Ouchy track and what was essentially a 2-level station. Both tracks ascended the grade inside the 1877-built tunnel to Flon. The two lines were connected via a single crossover roughly at the halfway point of the tunnel.
Flon Station
Flon was the Northern terminal for both Métro Ouchy and Métro Gare trains. The underground station contained 2 tracks with 2 platforms to either side of the tracks. This station facilitated transfer to the Tramway Sud-Ouest de Lausanne (M1).
The equipment
The trains for the Lausanne-Ouchy line consisted of 2 unpowered passenger cars and a locomotiveLocomotive
A locomotive is a railway vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. The word originates from the Latin loco – "from a place", ablative of locus, "place" + Medieval Latin motivus, "causing motion", and is a shortened form of the term locomotive engine, first used in the early 19th...
in push-pull configuration
Push-pull configuration
An aircraft constructed with a push-pull configuration has a mixture of forward-mounted propellers and backward-mounted propellers.-Historical:...
. There were 3 rack locomotives numbered 121-123, were designated He 2/2, rated at 622 hp, 6.25 m in length and weighed 18.1 tons, with a top speed of 32 km/h. They were built by Swiss Lokomotivfabirk Winterthur using electrical components from Maschienefabrik Oerlikon in 1958.
There were 5 unpowered passenger cars numbered 1-5, model Bt. All cars had driving controls. 3 of the cars contained segregated operator's cabs used when the locomotives were in push mode, at the rear of the train. The passenger cars, like the locomotives, were built in 1958. None of the passenger cars were equipped with pinions.
The Lausanne-Gare line was always operated by a single electric railcar
Railcar
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...
built to the same specifications as the locomotives but with a length of 11.9 m and a weight of 18.5 tons. The two original cars were built in 1958 and numbered 101-102. In 1975 these cars were replaced by 2 newer cars built by SIG-Oerlikon numbered 111-112, built, again, to the same specifications as the locomotives. Both locomotives and railcars collected power from overhead wires with a scheren (rhombus-shaped) pantograph
Pantograph (rail)
A pantograph for rail lines is a hinged electric-rod device that collects electric current from overhead lines for electric trains or trams. The pantograph typically connects to a one-wire line, with the track acting as the ground wire...
Trains on the Ouchy line were made up of 2 passenger cars and a locomotive. The locomotives were on always the south (downhill) end of the train to prevent runaway trains. There were 2 trains on the line requiring 2 locomotives and 4 passenger cars, with 1 locomotive and passenger car held as spares. The Flon-Gare line was operated by one railcar with the other held at the yard as a spare.
In addition, there were 2 flat cars and a line car used to maintain the overhead wires. The locomotives were used to propel these cars.
New life for Métro Ouchy
In January 2006 the line was shut down to be rebuilt into the new, fully automated, rubber-tired M2. Since the line was being rebuilt, the rack equipment was no longer needed. The trains were still in excellent condition and were sold to the French town of Villiard-de-Lans for use on their new (planned) rack railway, 'La Patache'. The trains were moved to a storage location to be overhauled for the French railway, including asbestosAsbestos
Asbestos is a set of six naturally occurring silicate minerals used commercially for their desirable physical properties. They all have in common their eponymous, asbestiform habit: long, thin fibrous crystals...
removal. "La Patache" was ultimately cancelled, and a new use had to be found for the trains. An idea that the locomotives and passenger cars could be used as snack booths in downtown Lausanne surfaced but even this fell through. The Swiss Transport Museum
Swiss Transport Museum
The Swiss Transport Museum or Verkehrshaus der Schweiz, in Lucerne, is a museum, opened in July 1959 and exhibiting all forms of transport as well as communications...
at Lucerne
Lucerne
Lucerne is a city in north-central Switzerland, in the German-speaking portion of that country. Lucerne is the capital of the Canton of Lucerne and the capital of the district of the same name. With a population of about 76,200 people, Lucerne is the most populous city in Central Switzerland, and...
refused to preserve the trains. A final preservation effort by a group called "Save La Ficelle!" attempted to raise 600,000 Swiss francs, the amount needed to purchase the trains from Villiard-de-Lans. They fell several thousand francs short of the required amount. The equipment was sold to a Swiss scrap dealer and was cut up in early 2010.